Tightener for antiskid chains



Jan. 30, 1923. 1,443,769

W A. STANLEY. Tmm'znaa FOR ANTISKID CHAINS, FILED MAR- 24, 1922- WITNESSES IIVI/EIVTOR W. A.S1'unley,

A TTORNEYS WILL Arman enemies, or sronann, nner-in erest.-

TIGHTENER roe anrrsnrn canine.

Application filed March 24,1922. Serial-N0. 546,358."

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l. V7111, citizen of the United States, and a of Spokane, in the county dent of Spokane and State of l'Vashington, hare invented certain new and useful lmprorments in Tighteners for hntislnd Chains, of which the followa'nti-skid chains, and it consists in the nations, constructions and herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is proyi' the character described which is light in Weight a simple and effective device of adapted to be applied readily to an skld chaln mounted upon the pncimati of an automobile Wheel oi ordinary construction.

A further object ofm'y invention is to provide a tightener for anti-skid chains which has means for exerting balanced tensions upon an applied anti-skid chain at a plurality of spaced-apart points, whereby the device will be effective for the purpose.

intended even though certain of the chainengaging elements thereoi from the chain.

be disengaged application, in which 2- Fig. 1 is a side elevation oi an automobile Wheel equipped with my invention,

and

Fig. 2 is a "fragmentary enlarged view of the device detached fromthe Wheel.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly Fig. 1, I show an automobile Wheel 1 of conventional construction upon which is mounted a pneumatic tire anti-skid chain 3 applied thereto.

having an n a W:

rue lllil skid chain 3 is of ordinary construction and comprises the annular or ring members a disposed at the sides of the tire 2 nected at intervals by transverse members which span the tire.

The embodiment of the invention illus trated in the drawings comprises a central ring 6 mounted upon a hub or hub cap 7 of the Wheel in encircling relation thereto. The ring 6 is made of a single piece of Wire bent into a ring. having a plurali loops 8 spaced .equi-distantly apart and'ex tendingradially oi the ring substantially in that the end portions thereof extend in lapped or juxtaposed relation between ad'- jacent loops 8 and are secured at their extremities to such ljacent loops, as indi= cat-ed at 9 9. coiled formation is provided for each of the loops'S and is attached at its inner end to. the latter. Y I

The springfmembers 1O carry connectors their outer ends which are adapted to be releasably attached to the side membersof the antislrid chain 3- Whereby the latter is" placed under tension at spaced apart points andis thus maintained-.1 in applied position upon the tire 2;; Each of the 00i1-' nectors 11 consists of a single piece oi Wire bent intermediately to provide loop portion 12 adapted to be connected with its re spective spring 10 through the agency of a loop at the outer end of the latter and to provide divergent arm portions 14-14 contiguous relation to the straight portions of the arms for a distance and then being secured to the latter at 16, as by being twisted around the same. The loop 1301'? tions 12 and the divergent arms 1l14 of each connector lie in substantially the same plane While the hooks 1515 extend lat erally of that plane.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. In the embodiment oi the invention illustrated, I have provided a central ring having four of -rrretractile spring 10 of I the loops 8. which are therefore spaced ninety deg es apart. )bviously, I may 'ter or less. number of the as desired. The springs 10 are I under tension when the hoolrs 1-5 are d to the side men'ibers of the anti-skidchaa in applying the device. the con-, nectors 11 are spaced equi-distantly apart so that equal lQi 'rths of the side members 3 Will extend between the adjacent hooks 15 of the scial connector l I Since equal lengths or portions of the side nien'ihers are suotended by the pairs of divergent arms 14ll l of: the several connectors, it Will be manifest that the tension placed upon the anti-skid chain 3 is distributed uniformly along the side members l of the chain, whereby the chain Will be effectively held in applied position upon the tire 2, irrespective oi the condition of inflation of the latter. Moreover, another important advantage is gained. on account of the tension on the anti-skid chain being uniformly distributed, in that the device as a Whole will be effective even though certain of the hooks 15 should be disengaged from the side members a of the chain and the tension placed upon the chain through each of the connectors 11 tends to maintain every other connector in engagement with the chain 1' am aware that tension devices have been provided prior to my invention for holding ant-ishid chains upon automobile Wheels, but such devices, of which I am aware, do not fulfill the objects of my invention in that they do not impose a balanced tension upon the anti-skid chains in the same effective manner as my device, are not held in applied position in respect to an anti-skid chain in the same manner as my device, and

are not capable or holding anti-skid chains in applied position upon the tire of a Wheel when partially disengaged from the chain.

Obviously, my invention is susceptible of embodiment forms other than that in which illustrated in the accompanying drawings and I. therefore consider as in own all modifications and adaptations oi the torm of the device disclosed herein which fairly fall Within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim A tightening device for anti-skid chains comprisin member adapted to encircle the hub of a wheel, said member being formed of a single piece of Wire bent substantially into ring; shape with the end portions thereof attending beyond each other in overlapping relation said piece of Wire being bent at intervals to provide radially extending loops and each extremity of said piece of Wire being" ene'" ed with the loop proximate thereto, and trmsion-occa5ioning means attached to said loops and being: adapted at their outer ends for engagement with antiskid chains.

ILL ALLEN STANLEY. 

